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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. shower — to wash
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. press — to push
  7. bound — certain
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. game — wild animals
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. bark — to shout
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. shower — rain
  16. bound — tied together
  17. press — newspapers
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. game — a match
  21. bound — obliged
  22. bass — the fish
  23. press — a publisher
  24. bass — low music

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com